Chemistry Major, Biochemistry Specialization

Program Requirements

  • Total Units Required: 61-62
  • Grade Requirement: All required chemistry coursework must be taken in residence at Washington University to be applied toward the chemistry major. A minimum grade of C- must be earned in each course to count toward the chemistry major. 
  • Note Regarding Double Counting Course Credits: College of Arts & Sciences Guidelines will be followed.

Required Courses

To prepare for a major in chemistry with a specialization in biochemistry, students will take the following:

CHEM 1701General Chemistry I*3
CHEM 1702General Chemistry II*3
CHEM 1751General Chemistry Laboratory I2
CHEM 1752General Chemistry Laboratory II2
CHEM 2561Organic Chemistry I With Lab4
CHEM 2562Organic Chemistry II With Lab4
BIOL 2960Principles of Biology I4
BIOL 2970Principles of Biology II4
PHYSICS 1740Physics I**3
PHYSICS 1741Physics I Laboratory1
PHYSICS 1742Physics II**3
PHYSICS 1743Physics II Laboratory1
MATH 1510Calculus I***3
MATH 1520Calculus II***3
MATH 2130Calculus III***3
Total Units43
*

Students may substitute CHEM 1601 Principles of General Chemistry I and CHEM 1602 Principles of General Chemistry II for CHEM 1701 General Chemistry I and CHEM 1702 General Chemistry II. Please consult the department's director of undergraduate studies for details.

**

PHYSICS 1760 Focused Physics I may replace PHYSICS 1740 Physics I. PHYSICS 1762 Focused Physics II may replace PHYSICS 1742 Physics II.

***

MATH 2801 Honors Mathematics I may replace both MATH 1510 Calculus I and MATH 1520 Calculus II. MATH 2802 Honors Mathematics II may replace MATH 2130 Calculus III.

Majors in chemistry with a specialization in biochemistry must take a minimum of 18 units of advanced courses in chemistry or biochemistry, among which the following must be included:

CHEM 4810General Biochemistry I3
CHEM 4820General Biochemistry II3
CHEM 4010Physical Chemistry I3
CHEM 4020Physical Chemistry II3
CHEM 4610Inorganic Chemistry3
Total Units15

In addition, at least one advanced lab must be chosen from the following list:

CHEM 4035Nuclear and Radiochemistry Lab3
CHEM 4079Instrumental Methods: Physical Chemistry3
CHEM 4559Advanced Organic Chemistry Laboratory4
CHEM 4570Synthetic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory3
or CHEM 4579
Synthetic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory - Writing Intensive
CHEM 4670Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory3
or CHEM 4679
Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory - Writing Intensive
CHEM 4851Biological Chemistry Laboratory4

Additional Information

Study Abroad

Study Abroad programs are available both for chemistry and pre-medical studies. Details of these programs can be found on the Overseas Programs website. For chemistry programs, students may be able to receive elective/research credit for courses taken/research done abroad. It is strongly advised that students contact the Department of Chemistry Study Abroad Advisor, Prof. Richard Mabbs, as soon as possible after declaring the major to discuss study abroad plans.

Latin Honors for the Major in Chemistry With a Specialization in Biochemistry

  • Total Units Required: 64-66

To qualify for Latin Honors, students must complete a minimum of 21 units in advanced courses, including one of the following courses:

CHEM 4101Special Topics in Physical Chemistry3
CHEM 4631Inorganic Biochemistry3
CHEM 4821Chemical Biology3
CHEM 4830Bioorganic Chemistry3
CHEM 4839Bioorganic Chemistry - Writing Intensive3
CHEM 4831Nucleic Acids3
CHEM 4833Protein Biochemistry3
CHEM 5841Chemical Dynamics of Biological Pathways3
BIOL 3340Cell Biology3
BIOL 3490Microbiology4

or a second advanced laboratory course in chemistry or biology chosen from the following list:

CHEM 4035Nuclear and Radiochemistry Lab3
CHEM 4079Instrumental Methods: Physical Chemistry3
CHEM 4559Advanced Organic Chemistry Laboratory4
CHEM 4570Synthetic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory3
or CHEM 4579
Synthetic Polymer Chemistry Laboratory - Writing Intensive
CHEM 4670Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory3
or CHEM 4679
Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory - Writing Intensive
CHEM 4851Biological Chemistry Laboratory4
BIOL 4522Laboratory in Protein Analysis, Proteomics, and Protein Structure3
BIOL 4523Molecular Methods in Enzyme Analysis4

All required chemistry course work must be taken in residence at Washington University to be applied toward the chemistry major. A minimum grade of C- must be earned in each course to count toward the chemistry major.

Departmental Honors for the Major in Chemistry With a Specialization in Biochemistry

To be eligible for Departmental Honors, a student must complete the Latin Honors program in chemistry. To graduate "with distinction," a student must maintain a chemistry grade point average of 3.5 and complete the equivalent of at least 3 units of CHEM 4900 Introduction to Research. To graduate "with high distinction," a student must maintain a chemistry GPA of 3.65 and complete the equivalent of at least 3 units of CHEM 4900 Introduction to Research and one semester of CHEM 4950 Advanced Undergraduate Research in Chemistry. To graduate "with highest distinction," a student must maintain a chemistry GPA of 3.8 and complete the equivalent of at least 3 units of CHEM 4900 Introduction to Research and one semester of ​CHEM 4950 Advanced Undergraduate Research in Chemistry. Chemistry research is defined as a research project performed under the direction of a chemistry faculty member or a research project approved by the Chemistry Department Undergraduate Work Committee. The chemistry GPA is calculated from the grades received in chemistry courses and prerequisites for the chemistry major. The level of Departmental Honors that a student achieves will appear on the student's final transcript.

Visit the Chemistry page
for additional information about this program.

Contact Info

Phone:314-935-6530
Email:chemistry@wustl.edu
Website:http://chemistry.wustl.edu